The Days Before You Go On a Trip

The days before I leave to go on a work trip are always filled with mild anxiety and various thoughts of packing. I think:

-Have I gotten everything done before I leave?

-Do I need to buy things for the trip? Food? New underwear?

-Who do I need to see before I leave?

I worry that I’m not following my to do list. I worry that I’m missing something.

What I’m actually missing is probably different from what I’m worried about. I’m not missing another errand or task I need to take care of (or maybe I am, but that’s not really what’s missing). I’m missing the simple acknowledgement that the days before I go on a trip are important too. There are lots of these days throughout the year, and they’ve become a sort of filler. They’re days that I let slip by while I wait for “more important” trip days to come.

Between packing and worrying on these days, I’d like to let go and have some peace for awhile, and really give these days a chance to count. Do I know how to do this? Not exactly. But I think acknowledging their importance and being grateful for having them is a good start.